This invention relates to a multi-compartment jug, and more particularly to a jug adapted to store a plurality of liquids or the like in either hot and/or cold condition.
The above-identified patents disclose a number of known jug-like carriers, some of which are of the multi-compartment type, and some of which include a suitable carrying handle. These known carriers suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, some of the separate compartments have no lids--but if they do, the lids are not easily sealable to and removable from the compartments selectively and individually. In addition, some of the known carriers have a plurality of storage compartments arrayed generally circumferentially around a central generally cylindrical compartment which is adapted to normally hold ice for cooling purposes. These constructions present problems if it is desired to access the ice for use in a cool drink, or if it is desired to easily remove the water resulting from the melting of the ice. Furthermore, if disproportionate amounts of liquid are dispensed from the various storage containers, carrying of the container by its handle may prove difficult.
The present invention is adapted to overcome these and other difficulities inherent in known multi-compartment carriers for a plurality of liquids or the like.
In accordance with the various aspects of the invention, a multi-compartment jug is provided with an exterior peripheral wall and an interior generally cylindrical wall of substantially lesser diameter than the exterior wall. A plurality of partitions extend between the walls to thereby form a plurality of individual compartments for storing liquids or the like. The interior wall forms a separate compartment for receiving ice or hot material which functions to cool or heat the contents of the other compartments.
Each storage compartment is provided with its own separate lid, with the lids being seatable on the respective outer and inner walls. When the lids are in place, a cap is secured downwardly over the inner wall which biases the inner lid portions toward a seat disposed on the inner wall, thus automatically locking the lids in place. The inner lid portions are provided with tabs to facilitate manual removal of the lids when they are unlocked.
An ice lift is disposed in the central ice-holding compartment, and is designed to raise any ice therein to the top thereof for easy access, while permitting the melted ice-water to remain at the bottom, where it can be removed through a spigot.
A generally U-shaped carrying handle is pivotally mounted to a ring disposed about the outer jug wall, with the ring being rotatable about the center jug axis to vary the handle position to accommodate off-center loads within the jug.